Ken Gruebel: Trial attorney uses past in penning courtroom drama

Published: Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 03:03 PM.

“BLOOD MONEY,” by James Grippando, Harper Collins, 342pp. $26.99

James Grippando is a rather prolific writer if one were to believe the number of novels listed at the front of this, his latest outing. Seeing this vast output of literary effort, it is somewhat difficult to believe that before Grippando started writing he spent some twelve years as a trial lawyer.

Well, the stint he did as a lawyer has served him rather well in this, his most recent effort. There is a lot of room and opportunity in this novel to use lawyer like phrases and make lawyer like moves, all on behalf of the hero’s client.

Jack Swyteck, the lawyer, has just finished a trial and is waiting for the jury to make a decision. It has been a grueling effort. The client, a young woman of somewhat doubtful morality was accused of killing her young daughter by drowning her in a swimming pool.

The jury returns a rather unpopular verdict which will result in the accused woman being released. The local news outlets do not think this is a fitting verdict and wants to cover every minute of the accused woman’s release.

The “media circus” results in an innocent bystander being trampled into a coma. It is here our hero starts earning his money. Not only must he convince others that the verdict was correct but the family of the injured bystander wants to hire him to sue the broadcast news company that inflamed a mob.

Ah, but then the plot thickens. The accused but now vindicated woman wants to sell her story, hence the title Blood Money, and disappears with a man she claims is going to make her extremely wealthy.

James Grippando is a rather prolific writer if one were to believe the number of novels listed at the front of this, his latest outing. Seeing this vast output of literary effort, it is somewhat difficult to believe that before Grippando started writing he spent some twelve years as a trial lawyer.

Well, the stint he did as a lawyer has served him rather well in this, his most recent effort. There is a lot of room and opportunity in this novel to use lawyer like phrases and make lawyer like moves, all on behalf of the hero’s client.

Jack Swyteck, the lawyer, has just finished a trial and is waiting for the jury to make a decision. It has been a grueling effort. The client, a young woman of somewhat doubtful morality was accused of killing her young daughter by drowning her in a swimming pool.

The jury returns a rather unpopular verdict which will result in the accused woman being released. The local news outlets do not think this is a fitting verdict and wants to cover every minute of the accused woman’s release.

The “media circus” results in an innocent bystander being trampled into a coma. It is here our hero starts earning his money. Not only must he convince others that the verdict was correct but the family of the injured bystander wants to hire him to sue the broadcast news company that inflamed a mob.

Ah, but then the plot thickens. The accused but now vindicated woman wants to sell her story, hence the title Blood Money, and disappears with a man she claims is going to make her extremely wealthy.

In the resulting turmoil, our hero is mugged and left with some injuries. There arises a question of jury tampering and a large payment made for the verdict.

A good and engaging book. And no, I never even guessed the ending. I doubt you will either.

Also read “NOTORIOUS NINETEEN” by Janet Evanovich, the latest in the bumbling efforts of the world’s most inept bounty hunter. I know that no one could be that inept and remain employed but Stephanie Plum manages to achieve it.

This is probably one of the funniest of the Stephanie Plum series. Sure there are some scary moments and yes there are the dual semi romances with Ranger or Morelli, but some of the highlights are laugh out loud hilarious. Stephanie, hired to protect a bride while posing as a bridesmaid has to wear a gown “from the Little House on the Prairie collection.” Battling her dress, battling her boss and trying very hard not to get killed as she loses yet another car, she and Lula go through the city of Trenton, New Jersey like twin hurricanes, downing fried chicken and double hamburgers as if the world was headed for a lengthy famine. Enjoyed this outing.